US to Cut UN Budget

Reuters news agency reports that the United States wants to cut $1 billion from the total United Nations peacekeeping budget to shave over 10 percent off Washington’s share of the bill following calls by President Donald Trump for US funding to be slashed. The US proposal of an annual budget of $6.99 billion was the lowest made which is nearly $1 billion less than UN chief Antonio Guterres’ proposal and almost $570 million less than the recommendation by the UN’s budget advisory experts. The proposal by the largest UN contributor is an opening bid in negotiations by the 193-member General Assembly budget committee, which has to agree funding for 13 peacekeeping missions and a logistics support office by the end of June.